The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
COUNTRY PARADISE
A unique property in a hamlet near the border of Perthshire and Fife makes the most of outstanding views thanks to numerous huge windows – Jack McKeown takes a look inside the Comptons
The Comptons occupies a glorious location in the hills near the border between Perthshire and Fife. The road there runs beside a stream along the wooded gorge that leads to Glenfarg. Turning at the Famous Bein Inn – you can walk to the pub across fields from the Comptons – the road rises into the hills.
From here a gravel track turns off, winding upwards and splitting in two. This is Newfargie, a small hamlet of around 15 homes in a beautiful location. Partway up the track a handmade wooden signpost individually lists
the names of all the houses here. It’s a sign – excuse the pun – of the close-knit community in the hamlet.
All the homes are well-spaced apart and have generous gardens. They enjoy an idyllic setting, with a wooded hillside above them, fields all around and fantastic views across
the Fife and Perthshire hills.
Lucie and David Johnston moved into the Comptons in 2008. “We bought it from the builders but did a lot of the finishing works ourselves,” David explains. Lucie adds: “Since then we’ve renovated or redecorated pretty much every single room.”
David, 44, is an accountant for NatureScot, the agency responsible for Scotland’s natural heritage. Lucie, 42, is a careers advisor for Dundee University and has recently become a humanist celebrant.
One of the first marriage ceremonies she conducted took place very close to home. “Last March, just as everything started heating up with Covid we had a couple who wanted to get married really quickly.
“There weren’t any venues available so we married them here, at the top of our garden.”
The Comptons has two heat sources – an oil-fired boiler and a more modern wood pellet stove. “We couldn’t very well work for NatureScot and not try to be as green as possible,” Lucie smiles. “We use the pellet heating when we’re in and only really rely on the oil system to keep the house ticking over when we’re on holiday.”
Its water comes from an underground source. “Our neighbours are hydrologists and asked if we wanted to share the cost of a borehole. We drilled down 60 metres and struck water. They had previously drilled three holes without success, but they installed a ground source heat pump and were able to make use of those holes.
“The water is pumped out of the ground and goes through a filter and UV treatment.” Having enjoyed a glass of it I can confirm it is cold, clear and delicious.
The three-storey house is done in an “upside down” style, with the main living areas at first floor level to maximise the views. The front door of the Comptons opens into a reception hall, which houses the pellet burning stove.
To one side of this is a workshop and adjoining garage. To the other side there’s a home gym and home office, the latter of which could be a playroom, additional living room or extra bedroom. The ground floor also houses a utility room and WC.
A door off the gym opens into a gigantic storeroom that wraps around the house and offers virtually unlimited storage space. “It’s fantastic to have,” Lucie says, before pointing at piles of tennis rackets, bikes, toys and boxes – adding: “Although I’ve no idea where we’re going to put all this stuff when we move.”
The first floor opens onto a lovely, lightfilled landing. Stepping into the living room takes your breath away. A double-height vaulted ceiling rears above me. Full height windows open on to decking and take full advantage of the sweep of countryside and hills beyond.
The couple had a wood-burning stove installed a few years ago. “It was after the terrible winter of 2009 or 2010,” Lucie explains. “We thought we never wanted to risk being cold in the house. Of course, it’s never been that bad again but we love having it on on a cold evening.”
The elevated decking off the Comptons’ living room sits above the garage and has fantastic views. It must be a terrific place to entertain friends on a warm day.
One of the biggest projects was remodelling the kitchen. This took place in 2015 and involved moving the kitchen into an adjacent room, adding a walk-in pantry and installing a pair of glazed doors on to decking.
“Previously there was no way out into the garden from here,” Lucie explains. “You had to go out a door, down some stairs and round the corner.
“We wanted direct access into the garden, so we knocked a hole in the wall and put in doors and decking.”
Where the old kitchen was has been divided into a larder and an adjacent snug. David has his home office in the latter and is working away while the couple’s rescue greyhound Milo naps on a sofa nearby.
The new kitchen has a full wall of glass with doors opening on to its own balcony. A central island creates a focal point. Well appointed enough for any chef, it has two ovens, both with warming drawers, space for an American fridge-freezer and two dishwashers.
Also at first floor level are two double bedrooms, one of which is en suite, and a family bathroom. Another flight of stairs opens on the attic level landing. Here there are two double bedrooms for the couple’s two children, and a shared bathroom.
The master bedroom has a wall of windows to take advantage of the views, as well as a spacious en suite bathroom.
The 0.8-acre garden is split into well manicured areas and a section of semi-wild hillside. “We have a family of red squirrels that regularly come down on to the wall,” Lucie says. “We love to watch them in the morning.”
Doors from the home office lead out to a stretch of artificial grass that is part of a children’s play area. A yard for dogs is outside the utility room, while stretches of lawn wrap around three sides of the house. The hillside has several paths carved through its grass and bushes, and a steep climb leads to a flat clearing at the top that is a favourite place to host guests.
After 13 years at the Comptons Lucie and David are looking to move to Dundee. “Our children are going to school there and I work in Dundee so it would be nice to be a little closer,” Lucie says. “It is a lovely community here though. We’ll miss the people and being in the countryside.”
The Comptons, Newfargie, Glenfarg is on sale with Thorntons for offers over £630,000.